After several sunny days, the monsoon season has returned

May 16, 2017 - Wednesday

49 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I received a few pictures from my sister, Barb, earlier today. She and my brother-in-law, John, live west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Barb delights in rubbing in the fact that her flowers are all in bloom, the trees are leafed out in full, and their world is filled with vivid colors against a green background.

I was quick to note when I was in Indiana several weeks ago that they were at least six to eight weeks further into spring than we were. It appears nothing has changed.

Tuesday was a dark and rainy day. I went to town early to purchase a gallon of sealer for the deck. This time I learned that the computers were down in the store and they would only accept cash, debit cards were out.

Thoroughly disgusted, I just shook my head and came back home. So far, between Saturday's trip to town for nothing and today's drive, I've put a total of forty miles on the car with nary a drop of water seal to show for my effort. There are too many hardware stores within driving distance to keep trying only the one. Maybe it's time to move on.

Most of the day was spent in the shop. After an hour of cleaning, I was ready to turn a bowl on the lathe.

My first effort was on one made from maple.

It was going well until I turned the wall too thin. Suddenly, the entire bowl flew apart.

One thing turning has taught me is patience, lots and lots of patience. 

Lunchtime was spent thinking about what I'm doing wrong. Three out of the last five bowls have blown out. I can't blame my sight as I use touch to judge their thickness. There's nothing wrong with my fingers.

I've been offered a place in an art gallery in Marquette in which to display my work and that's playing with my mind. Located on the shores of Lake Superior and home to Northern Michigan University, Marquette is the mecca of arts in northern Michigan. It hosts a symphony orchestra, an active theatre troupe, some very talented, legitimate artists, and all those things one associates with an upscale community. 

The gallery is a legitimate, high-class, venue and if I display anything, it will have to be really good, really really good, and that means thin-walled, unique, decorative, pieces. 

That's where I'm running into trouble. It's the old no risks/no reward thing.

The pressure is self imposed and that's causing me make some mistakes that I might normally avoid.

I shrugged my shoulders and went back to the shop. After a quick cleaning, I mounted a chunk of birch and began again. I decided to quit trying to be an artist and simply be a retired guy who is having fun in his shop.

This piece barely fit on my mini lathe

Two hours later, I walked back in the house with a new bowl in hand. 

This one will be given as a gift.

Supper last night was a combination of hamburger, rice, tomatoes, and other secret ingredients too numerous to mention. Let's put it this way, if a spare kitchen sink was available, I'd have probably thrown that in too. Sargie liked it and was stick-to-your-ribs filling.

Sargie opens again today. It's too wet to do anything outside. There are several things around the house and garage that need my attention, the first is to assemble the new gas grill we purchased last fall. Hopefully, we've seen the last of the snow for the year.

It time to shake a leg and get moving.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Even my sister's roses are in bloom